Union close to acquiring sorely needed depth at striker

Manager Jim Curtin said he’s ‘cautiously optimistic’ that the Union are close to the goal of getting back defender Carlos Valdes, who is on loan to Argentine club San Lorenzo. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

CHESTER — The Philadelphia Union’s long-awaited forward reinforcements could be on the way very quickly.

Union manager Jim Curtin confirmed Thursday that the Union are close to the acquisition of Jamaican striker Brian Brown, filling the Union’s glaring need for striking depth.

“There’s still some paperwork that needs to finish up, but he’s going to be with us going forward,” Curtin said Thursday after training at PPL Park. “He’s a player that we’re excited about. We’ve had him for a couple of weeks previously, and he’s a goalscorer. So that checks a box in that regard.”

The 21-year-old Brown was the leading scorer in Jamaican’s Red Stripe Premier League with 18 goals this season.

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The move was first reported Tuesday evening via a post on the website of his current club, Harbour View FC, which said that it “has accepted the terms” of a loan arrangement. Curtin couldn’t confirm Thursday whether or not it would be loan given the pending approvals from MLS.

Curtin also confirmed a Harbour View statement that Brown was on trial with the Union last month. Brown trained with the club Thursday and Curtin is “cautiously optimistic that he can be available for selection in the 18” when the Union play Colorado at PPL Park Saturday.

Brown is listed at 6-1, 185 pounds on the Harbour View roster and won’t turn 22 until December. His speed and ability to stretch the field — something Curtin said made him stand out — draws comparisons to Colorado’s Deshorn Brown (no relation), who was the leading scorer among rookies last year and finished second in MLS Rookie of the Year balloting.

While Curtin was cautious not to lump the pressure of that comparison on Brian Brown, the manager expressed admiration for the striker’s skillset.

“He can be a guy that jumps in a wide spot,” Curtin said. “He can play as the high guy by himself. He can do the Conor (Casey) role. He’s obviously not as big and strong, but he provides the threat to get in behind. A guy that can stretch the field is something we feel like we need right now because the higher he takes the center backs, the more space that gives a Cristian Maidana and a (Vincent) Nogueira underneath.”

Brown’s agent is Damani Ralph, a teammate of Curtin’s from their Chicago Fire days. That familiar voice has been helpful as the Union assessed Brown’s MLS potential.

“He knows what works in the league and what maybe doesn’t, so that’s a huge advantage,” Curtin said of Ralph. “He’s had success in the league and overseas, so he knows the ins and outs. He has a way, especially with the Jamaican players, of knowing which ones fit the league, a Deshorn type. And now he sees a lot of the same qualities in Brian Brown. It’s an exciting thing.”

Harbour View is the club at which Andre Blake, the Union’s No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 SuperDraft, started. Brown, who grew up in the ranks of hometown club Montego Bay, didn’t play alongside Blake in their youth. Brown was also on trial with English Premier League club Aston Villa in 2012, around the same time former Union forward Danny Mwanga auditioned.

There are minor details to iron out — beyond the personal terms of a contract, Curtin mentioned that Brown comes from a rural upbringing and “his head’s spinning” amid the big-time setting. But Curtin is clearly enthusiastic about the possibility of incorporating Brown to the squad.

“We saw him for a good solid week and he did very well, scored a bunch of goals in the run of play when we would play 11-v-11,” Curtin said. “He did well against our starting center backs, caused a lot of problems. So the alarm bells went off pretty quickly. You could tell he was pretty special around the goal.”

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Curtin is also optimistic that the Union’s continued pursuit of retrieving Carlos Valdes from loan will soon bear fruit.

The 29-year-old defender, who was loaned to Argentine club San Lorenzo prior to his inclusion in Colombia’s World Cup squad, has been a target to fill a hole in the Union’s backline. Valdes, once the Union’s captain, spent 2013 on loan to Colombian club Independiente Santa Fe to establish himself in the Colombia squad.

“We’re cautiously optimistic with Carlos,” Curtin said. “We think that’s one that can get done. He’s a guy that knows the league very well, hoping sooner rather than later. (Assistant technical director) Chris Albright’s working his butt off on that one. He’s working very hard to make that happen.”

Valdes is the primary target, but the Union have pledged to look elsewhere if an agreement doesn’t materialize. Curtin confirmed that among the possible recruits is Algerian center back Madjid Bougherra. The 31-year-old was the captain of the Algerian World Cup squad that advanced to the group stage in Brazil. He was a teammate of Maurice Edu in Scotland with Rangers for three seasons.

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There was a special quest at training for the Union this week: Michael Farfan.

The former Union midfielder, who transferred to Mexico’s Cruz Azul last December, is reportedly no longer in the plans of the changing administration at the Mexico City club. He made just one league appearance for the club, scoring a goal.

Farfan reached out to Curtin to train and stay in shape while he explores options for overseas trials.

With Farfan and the club maintaining a strong relationship enduring through 82 appearances from 2011-13, Curtin trusted that Farfan’s presence wouldn’t be a distraction. For now, there’s nothing more to it. However remote the possibility is, Curtin won’t close the door to a Farfan return.

“I’ll never say never,” Curtin said. “He can come here and we say, you know what, we’re not going to let him go anywhere and maybe we make a move. But the idea right now is that’s not the stage that it’s at.”